as in giant
unusually large
harvested a whacking number of zucchini from the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
the clown wore a whacking big pair of shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smacking
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whacked the vending machine to get the candy bar to fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in murdering
slang
to put to death deliberately
without a second thought the mob boss had them whacked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whacking
Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
New York put the screws to its division rival on Tuesday, whacking nine home runs to cruise to a 13-3 victory.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
In the ensuing melee, an overly aggressive security guard makes the mistake of whacking Hutch’s young daughter on the head.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
The reptile reacts to being picked up by flicking its meaty tail back and forth, whacking a few of the deputies.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 Dec. 2025
The robot showcased exemplary skills with the bat, whacking the ball precisely in a rally of over 100 shots with human-like agility.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
New York put the screws to its division rival on Tuesday, whacking nine home runs to cruise to a 13-3 victory.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
In the ensuing melee, an overly aggressive security guard makes the mistake of whacking Hutch’s young daughter on the head.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whacking
Adjective
-
The cemetery was divided in two by a windbreak of giant elms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Just more than a minute after ignition, the ruptured booster caused the shuttle’s giant external fuel tank to explode, tearing the vehicle to pieces over the ocean and dooming all seven astronauts.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
28 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Where to find warming centers around Philadelphia Philadelphia has activated an Enhanced Code Blue due to the extremely cold temperatures.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Things often turn uglier after nightfall, when the convoys return and the protesters sometimes grow angrier, shaking fences and occasionally smacking passing cars.—
Tim Sullivan,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
-
My long-term goals are more important than smacking.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Elliott is accused of murdering retired FBI agent Owen Pollard, who was a partner in VanPoll firearms disposal.—
Oline H. Cogdill,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In 2009, 22-year-old Amanda Knox was wrongfully convicted of murdering her roommate while studying abroad in Italy.—
Erin Lassner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Are the countries Trump has slapped with a huge tariff going to send us their data?—
MIKE STOBBE,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Missiles cause a huge explosion.—
Svitlana Vlasova,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Victory tastes pretty damn good!—
Kaitlin Stevens,
PEOPLE,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Because the things that go down in Stephen Fishbach’s debut novel are pretty damn dramatic.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Part of the answer seems to be more brands willing to make early commitments that actually matter (and not just slapping logos on things) but investing in the media infrastructure that lets fans watch and follow women’s sports in the first place.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
26 Jan. 2026
-
But 6-11 has a way of slapping you in the face.—
Sam McDowell
January 23,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In Michocán in the fall, the Jalisco cartel is accused of assassinating a prominent mayor who had vowed to hold criminals accountable.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
-
When Oswald is moments away from assassinating JFK, Jake intervenes and fatally shoots Oswald, stopping the assassination from happening.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whacking. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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